The Professional
by Ravyna Brutalis
Summary: A bitter, lonely university professor and a beautiful pink haired escort walk into a bar...well, you figure out the punchline. AU
1. Chapter 1

The Professional

 _A/N: Hello, everyone! It's me, Ravyna, back again with another story! This one is inspired by The Professional and most of the songs off of Kiss Land and the Trilogy by The Weeknd. I hope you enjoy it!_

Chapter I

I took my usual seat at a round table at the back of the bar. I fished out my crushed pack of cigarettes from my pocket, pulling one loose and placing it between my lips. I then proceeded to yank my lighter from the inner pocket of my jacket and lit up my cancer stick. I inhaled the smoke and exhaled. That first drag was heavenly, it had been too long of a day.

I watched the bar patrons socialize, drunk off their asses and talking nonsense. There were people playing billiards and shooting darts on the other side of the room as well. I watched them all with a small sense of disdain. They all had something I dearly lacked. What was it that I lacked again? That's right. Happiness. I lacked happiness.

A perky waitress with blond hair styled in a high ponytail walked over to me, a pad and pen in one hand and a lit cigarette in the other. Her blue eyes smiled down at me. "What can I get ya tonight, Mr. Hatake?"

"Iced tea with lemon, please." I said, looking down to flick the ash off my cigarette into the green plastic ash tray on the table. I had quit drinking years ago but coming here was always habit.

"Alright, I'll be back in a few with your drink." She said and winked at me.

"Thanks, Ino." Ino sashayed away, making her shapely hips sway in a more pronounced fashion. She was always trying to get my attention but I just wasn't interested. Not after...

I slapped a hand to my forehead and dragged it down my face to push that thought out of my head. I couldn't keep dwelling on it. It had been two years already. In fact, it was two years today. I wanted to join the patrons in their drunkenness but I didn't want to break my sobriety for this. It was something I had already dealt with some time ago...

Ino bounced over from the bar and set down a napkin before placing my tea on it. "Can I get you anything else?" Ino said, obviously meaning to offer her services in a _different_ way as she twirled a strand of pale blond hair around her finger. "I'm fine, thank you." Ino smiled and I could see that I disappointed her once again. She walked away, normally this time.

I sipped on my tea and continued to people watch. I observed everyone's happiness and wished to siphon some for myself. I hadn't been happy for so long now. Just thinking about it and watching it all around me made me angry. I took the final drag off of my cigarette and smashed it angrily into the ashtray. I was becoming so pathetic. My whole life revolved around my teaching profession at the university and coming here for hours after my shift ended. I always left far worse than I arrived. This place soured my mood but I still couldn't stop coming. I was addicted to seeing others happiness and desiring it for myself.

Someone entering the bar caught my attention. I snapped my head in the direction of the door and was welcomed to the sight of an attractive pink haired young woman I had never seen before. Her hair was pulled up high into an intricate updo. She was clad in a fashionable black dress that rested some inches above her knee. The mystery girl looked out of place in this bar. Her black heels clacked against the cement floor as she made her way over to the bar. I watched her converse with Ino and they both laughed at something that was obviously hilarious. Great, more happy people. The mystery girl took a seat at the bar facing me and Ino prepared her a drink and mixed several different alcohols, shaking it up vigorously in a metal shaker before pouring the mixture into a good sized glass. That girl was definately on a mission to get fucked up. Ino served the drink to the pink haired girl and the girl sipped on the concoction through a black straw. I watch her drink over half before she sat the drink back down. She took a napkin and gently patted her pink lips with it before setting it down on the bar.

Another body entered the bar. I turned my attention to the door once again. This time it was a man, he was around my age. He had dark brown hair that was shorter on the top and a bit longer in the back and off putting dark eyes. He walked over to the bar and sat down next to the pink haired girl. They instantly became engrossed in conversation. Must be her boyfriend. I withdrew my attention from the couple and finished the last bit of iced tea in my glass before pulling out my wallet, procuring some cash for the tea and a large tip and took my leave of the bar. I couldn't ignore the pair of jade eyes that followed me across the bar.

-X-

I sighed as I stuffed my paperwork and books into my briefcase. Today had been a particularly grueling day. Seeing as it was almost summer, keeping my students focused had been a challenge. There were many reprimands and extra homework handouts. I rubbed the knot of muscle in my neck before standing up, grabbing my briefcase, and turning off the lights of the class room. I took one last look at the room before exiting the room. I walked down the empty hallway and the only sound I could hear were my black dress shoes hitting the polished tile floor. I pushed through the doors at the end of the hallway and made my way into the teacher parking lot. I pulled my car keys from the pocket of my khaki slacks and pressed the unlock button on the key fob. My little silver car flashed its lights at me happily and I was relieved to finally be done with my week. I opened the door of my car and plopped down into the black cloth seats. Sweet relief.

I pushed my key into the ignition and the car roared to life around me. I gave a little pat on the dash of my old reliable car before putting the car in gear and backing out of the parking space. I drove out of the parking lot and turned left, going the direction of the bar I always ended up at every night. I passed old large buildings and before long I was at the bar. The neon sign that flashed Lady J's welcomed me familiarly. I got out of the car and locked it before casually strolling up to the doors of the bar. Ino was outside smoking a cigarette and waved me over. I turned to her and she smiled at me.

"How's it going, Mr. Hatake? Want to have a smoke with me?" She offered me one of her cigarettes and I declined while pulling out my own pack. I lit the cigarette and leaned against the wall next to Ino.

"How was your day? Did the kids give you hell?" She said as she exhaled the pungent smoke. "Mm, yes. It's almost summer so students get obnoxious." I inhaled and exhaled my own smoke.

"That's too bad. They should pay attention...I know I would be." The meaning behind her words were not lost on me, I just chose to ignore it and responded with a grunt. A silence pressed itself between us for a few moments. Thoughts of that random pink haired girl popped into my head.

"Who was that girl that came in last night before I left? The one with pink hair? I've never seen her here before." Ino was visibly agitated by my probing about another female.

"That's Sakura. She comes here sometimes to do business. What kind of business? I have no idea. All I know is that men show up, they have some drinks and they leave together."

Interesting, I thought to myself. I didn't ask any more questions. I finished my cigarette in silence as Ino squirmed next to me. I could tell that she wanted me to talk to her some more but I wasn't up for it. I flicked my cigarette into the butt bucket next to my feet and walked inside the bar. It was kind of empty at the moment since it was about five o'clock but soon it would be full of people. I took my usual table and lit up another cigarette. It wasn't long before Ino was back in the bar and over at my table to take my order. I ordered another tea and a small plate of fries to ease my rumbling stomach. I hadn't eaten all day and I hadn't really wanted to, I still didn't want to but I knew my body needed some sort of sustenance. Ino took my order with a smile and sashayed away again.

Since there wasn't really enough bodies here to watch, I turned my attention to one of the many TVs in the bar and watched a sports program mindlessly. I wasn't really into sports or television in general but it kept my mind off things I didn't want to think about. I continued to watch sports until Ino returned to my side with my tea and the plate of fries. The smell of the greasy food made me want to gag but I brought one to my lips and forced myself to eat. It was actually quite tasty, I just didn't eat much anymore. I thanked Ino and she nodded happily before returning to her place at the bar to talk to one of the few patrons. I drank my tea and ate my salty fries in relative peace.

A couple of hours passed by without me noticing and more people were arriving by the second. Before I knew it, the bar was almost packed with friends and couples wanting to have a good time since it was the weekend. The noise level in the bar was almost unbearable but I was able to push it out of my head and continued to watch the TVs. A few more hours passed before I started my people watching. I always waited until people were quite drunk before I started my creepy past time. I was currently watching a couple at the bar argue about some perceived slight and it made me happy I wasn't married anymore. Not that it was by my choice or anything...

I pushed that thought out of my head once again and changed objects. I watched a couple of frat boys play pool and boast about their many abilities ranging from skill at playing pool to wooing women. Gross. To think I was once one of those kids. Although, I wasn't a frat boy, I did my fair share of partying and chasing women. Once again, I was glad I was not them. I was glad I wasn't most of these people. I just wanted their happiness and contentment with life. I was pulled out of my thoughts by someone walking into the bar. It was the pink haired girl again, Sakura. This time she was wearing a red dress that hugged every bit of her curves and that hiked her breasts up, pushing them together as well. She was wearing matching heels made of a shiny leather. Sakura once again walked up to the bar and sat down. Ino made her a drink, the same one as last night, and served it to her. Sakura sucked down half again then set it down on the bar. I felt a weird sense of deja vu watching her habits. She was doing the same things as last night.

It wasn't much longer before a man walked in and took his seat beside her. It was the same one from last night. The began their conversation and ordered more drinks, just like Ino had said earlier. I watched them go through several rounds, talking and laughing like normal people but nothing about this situation was normal to me. There was something else going on. I watched them for quite some time. The man got up to go to the restroom, slightly stumbling on his way there. It was then that green eyes locked on to mine. I quickly moved my attention elsewhere. I didn't enjoy when my objects tried to turn my past time against me. I looked down at the table and kept my eyes there, hoping that she wasn't going to do anything about my staring. I was wrong. I felt warmth at my side and I raised my eyes to be met with red then with green and pink.

"I saw you watching me. Both tonight and last night. What are you so curious about?" She smirked as she looked down at me.

"I apologize, I just happen to enjoy people watching." I said quietly.

"That's kind of creepy, you know." She said, there was a slight playfulness in her voice.

"I wasn't meaning to be creepy." Sakura eyed me and leaned down on the table, her breasts were almost in my face.

"Hm. Don't you have a girlfriend or wife or something to focus on?" I shook my head at her.

"I thought you looked a little lonely." She sighed and rested her hand in her palm. "Perhaps I can help you out."

I looked up at her, confused. "How?" I asked.

"Hold on." She said then walked over to the bar to grab her little red clutch and made her way over to my table again.

Sakura dug through the clutch before letting out a victorious "Aha!" and pulled out a black card, sliding it across the table to me. I picked it up and analyzed it. There was only a phone number written across it in white.

"What is this?" I asked as I looked at the card.

"That's how you can reach me. Whenever you're lonely and need company, give me a call." I raised my eyes to look at her.

"Are you a prostitute?" I asked shamelessly. Sakura laughed a hearty laugh before looking down at me, her eyes full of mirth.

"No, silly. I'm an escort."

My eyes widened a little at her confession. "Aren't you afraid that I will turn you into the police?"

Her smile widened. "Escorting isn't exactly illegal, sir."

I raised a brow at her. "But it isn't exactly legal either?"

She nodded. "Precisely! I'm not doing anything wrong. I'm only keeping you company not fucking you for money."

"Hm." I hummed and placed the card in the inner pocket of my jacket.

"Just so you know, my password is 'cherry blossoms, oh cherry blossoms, in the spring sky, as far as the eye can see'. Use it when...or if...you call that number." Sakura winked at me before rising from the table.

"You use a traditional song of your namesake as your password? Isn't that a little easy to guess?" I asked as I leaned back in my chair.

"You'd be surprised at how many people get it wrong."

"Hm." I hummed again.

Sakura suddenly straightened up. "Oh, there's my client. Give me a call...or don't. I'm leaving it up to you." She ran or at least tried to in her tall heels over to the bar where her client was starting to take his seat again. I could hear her yelling "Oh, Yamato!" as she laughed that hearty laugh that she had given me moments before. I felt a slight twinge of jealousy pass through me. Strange. Why was I feeling jealous? Did I secretly desire her attention?

I fingered the card in my inner pocket absent mindedly.

Strange. So very strange.

-X-


	2. Chapter 2

The Professional

Chapter II

 _"I'm dying, Kakashi."_

 _Those words rang in my head, repeating over and over again as an echo. It didn't seem real. None of this seemed real._

 _"The doctor told me today that the cancer has spread. It's terminal now. I have less than a few months left..."_

 _Tears stung my eyes. She of all people did not deserve this. She was an amazing being, so full of love and always had a hand to give. Why was God doing this to her and to me?_

 _"It's okay, Kakashi. I've accepted that it's my time and I'm okay with it."_

 _I shoved the kitchen table over in rage. "I'm not okay with it! I haven't accepted it and I never will!" I crumpled down on to the floor on my knees, knealing before her. "This isn't happening..."_

 _Her hand rested on my head and gently she ran her fingers through my hair. "It's okay, it's going to be okay...you'll see..."_

 _It was never okay, it was never okay again._

-X-

I sat upright in my bed. Sweat covered me in a sticky film as I ran a hand through my hair. I kicked off my blanket and crawled out of bed. I felt something drip down on to my bare chest and realized quickly that it was tears. I immediately wiped them away and walked into the bathroom, turning on the light and closing the door behind me. I went over to the shower and turned the knob, letting it run for a moment before removing my clothes and stepping inside. I allowed the water to run over my entire body with its coldness and I shivered but I ignored it.

How long was I going to be haunted by her memory?

I had the same dream every night. She told me over and over again that she was dying.

I couldn't escape her no matter how hard I tried. I could push out the memories of her during the day but they always came back to me in the night. It seemed like so long ago...the happy memories of our time together slowly began to fade until I could barely remember them at all. All I could remember was the bad, her being sick and wasting away before my eyes until she was a lifeless corpse in a casket...

I punched the wall of the shower in front of me to stop myself from dwelling on the past. It was all over now and it had been for some time.

She was gone and there was nothing I could do to bring her back.

I turned the water off and got out of the shower. I yanked my navy blue towel off the rack beside the shower and wrapped it around me. I wiped off the condensation from the mirror and stared at myself. I had dark circles under my eyes from not getting enough sleep. My eyes traveled down my form. My once muscular body had started to eat away at itself since I did not eat enough to fuel it properly. I turned away from the mirror and exited the bathroom into the bedroom where I gazed at the digital clock on my night stand.

Six AM.

Well, I guess this is a good time to get some coffee.

I put on some clothes and walked down the hall to my kitchen, pushing the button on the coffee machine to hear it groan to life. I placed my cup under the spout and watched as the dark liquid poured into it. I brought the cup into the dark living room and sat down on the couch, placing the cup on the rectangular glass coffee table before it. The blinds on the large sliding door next to me were closed but I could see the light from the sun rise peeking through the cracks. I sighed and stood up, opening the blinds slightly to allow for some light to shine in. The darkness was a little depressing.

I sipped my coffee for the next hour, staring at the blank white wall and listening to the silence that was almost deafening. Once I was done with my coffee, I brought the cup to the sink and set it inside. My dishes were starting to pile up but I ignored it like I did with most things.

My stomach rumbled so I opened the refrigerator to see that it was mostly empty except for some water in a pitcher. Guess I will have to make a trip to the grocery store today.

-X-

I placed all my items on the counter. There wasn't much, just some bread and some deli meat for sandwiches. There was a time when I would make full spread gourmet meals but that time has long since passed. I was only eating to survive at this point and not much else.

The cashier smiled at me and started to scan my items. She did so quickly and I paid what I owed with a crumpled bill from my pocket. The cashier returned my change to me and I stuffed it back into my pocket, gathering my bags and leaving the store. As I strolled through the parking lot to my car, I heard someone call my name from behind me.

"Mr. Hatake!"

I turned around to see Ino running towards me, waving. I stood in place and waited for her to catch up to me. She made it to where I was waiting for her and bent over with her hands on her knees to catch her breath.

"What are you doing here? Wait...dumb question." Ino laughed. "What're you up to?"

"Mm. Not much, just grabbing some groceries and going home." I answered without much emotion, as it was as she said...obvious.

Ino looked down at my two slack bags and raised a brow. "Can you even call those groceries? There's, like, nothing in there! Tell you what, why don't I take you out to lunch?"

I weighed my options. Go home and be by myself for hours upon end until the bar opened or go out to lunch with Ino. I wasn't sure if I should take my chances with her since she was clearly interested in me but I decided to throw caution to the wind. I needed to get out more anyway. "Sure" I simply said.

"For rea-...I mean, great! Why don't you take your 'groceries'," Ino paused to use air quotes then smiled at me. "home and meet me at that fancy ramen place uptown?"

I nodded and Ino giggled giddily. "Okay, see you in an hour!" She started walking towards the grocery store, stealing one last glance my way before disappearing inside.

I hoped I didn't just make a terrible mistake.

-X-

"So," Ino began after taking a petite mouthful of noodles and chewing them. "Besides teaching at the university and living part time at my place of work...what do you _do_?"

"Not much other than that. I don't really have any hobbies." I said and softly sipped on my miso ramen, making sure that I wasn't giving off any vibes that I shouldn't be. I wanted to remain aloof and unattached. Ino didn't seem to understand that as she continued to ask me questions about myself.

"No hobbies? Then what do you do for fun?"

"Nothing."

"Really? Is that even possible?"

"Yes. I am living proof."

"Man, Mr. Hatake. You need to live a little! Loosen up a bit and have some fun once in awhile!" Ino nudged me with her shoulder and smiled up at me.

Fun. I needed to have fun. When was the last time I even had any fun? It's been years. I spent so much time by myself staring at walls that I was sure that I didn't even know what fun was anymore.

"Say, I saw Sakura talking to you a few weeks ago. What did she say to you?" Ino said and then took another bite of her noodles.

I forgot about that whole interaction. "Nothing really." I said and kept my eyes down on my bowl of ramen. I was lying, I didn't want her to know about the conversation that passed between us. It wasn't really any of her business to begin with.

"Are you sure? I saw her pull something out of her purse and give it to you. What was it? Was it drugs?" Ino looked up at me, her eyes wide with curiousity.

"Do you think that I would accept drugs from a stranger or in general?" I resisted the urge to glare at her but I needed to be polite and courteous. She was taking me out to lunch. It was supposed to be an enjoyable experience but she was making it insufferable with all her questions.

"No...I guess not. What did she give you, though?"

I had to think of an answer quick. I couldn't think of anything but the truth. "She gave me her number."

Ino threw her hands up and huffed. "She's one greedy bitch, she constantly has men around her. I'm beginning to wonder if she's a whore." Ino said, her eyes narrowed and her brow furrowed.

Well, she wasn't too far off with that thought.

After a few moments of silence between us, Ino spoke. "Did you call her?"

I leaned back in my chair and looked up at the tall ceiling. "No."

"Why not?"

"Why do you care?"

"Because I'm curious."

"Mm." I hummed in doubt as I kept my eyes on the ceiling. No, she cared because she wants to know if she has a chance with me. "Well, I didn't call her because I am not interested."

Ino looked down at her bowl of ramen and a blush crept across her face. "I-Is there anyone that you _are_ interested in?"

I sat for a moment in silence. I didn't want Ino to get any false hope with me. She needed to move on to someone less toxic. I would slowly ruin her. "No."

"O-Oh, I see." I could hear the stab I just took at her heart through her voice. I felt bad, I truly did but she needed to know that I would be alone for the rest of my life. No one was ever going to change that.

"Look, Ino," I was going to set her straight to prevent anymore misunderstandings. "I know you're attracted to me. It's never been lost on me."

Ino's head snapped up and she gazed at me with wide blue eyes. "You knew?"

"Yes and I'm sorry but I'm just not interested. I'm destined to be alone and I accept that."

"How could you say that? You have someone practically throwing themselves at you...you're not destined to be alone...I've been here this whole time..." Ino's eyes dropped and I could see tears starting to form but she fought them.

"Then I'm alone simply by choice." I said sternly, I wanted to avoid this entirely. I hoped she wouldn't take this route but it was too late.

"W-Why? Give me the real reason..." Ino said softly.

"It's not you, it's me." Ino huffed and rolled her eyes at me. "Really, it's true. I'm damaged goods and you deserve someone who's not broken."

A laugh that came from across the room stopped me. I looked over and saw someone I truly didn't expect to see. Sakura was there with a man much older than her who had to be a client. She smiled at him and placed her hand on his, gently stroking the wrinkled flesh of his hand. The man seemed pleased by her attention and drew closer to her, seeming to deepen their conversation. Sakura's smile grew wider and she nodded. Now I was the one who was curious. I wanted to know the contents of their conversation.

Suddenly, Sakura's eyes met mine and I froze. I absolutely could not move. Once again, she caught me staring and I was at her mercy. She gave me a knowing smirk and her eyes reflected a mirthful judgement. Was she really judging me right now? She, the escort, judging me? It was ridiculous.

"What are you looking at?" Ino said and followed my line of sight. "Oh. I see. _She's_ here." She said sourly.

But my eyes never left Sakura's. I fell into those jade depths and felt like I was falling endlessly into a great green chasm. Her eyes liquified as she gave me a look of what seemed to be pity. Why was she pitying me? Perhaps it's because I have to deal with the woman making a scene beside me because of her.

"You seem so interested in her. You can't take your eyes off of her." Ino said flatly and I could feel her blue eyes burning into me. I broke away from the intense eye lock I was sharing with Sakura and turned my attention to Ino. "It's fine, just admit it." Ino said, her voice firm.

"Ah. I'm not interested in her, though. At least not in that way." I finally said after Ino pryed an answer out of me with her eyes looking at me expectantly. Apparently, that was not the answer she wanted to hear. She threw her napkin down on the table and stormed out of the restaurant, cursing Sakura and me on her way out.

Well, what was supposed to be an innocent lunch went south very quickly.

And all I could hear was that laugh dancing in my ears...

-X-

The altercation with Ino made for an interesting evening at the bar. I received glares, lots of shit talking about me to other patrons and terrible service. This is exactly what I was hoping to avoid and it was all Sakura's fault. If she wasn't there, I would have informed Ino of my lack of interest and put her attraction to me to bed...so to speak. But here I am, receiving looks that would kill me if they could and probably drinking a mixture of tea and angry female spit. I sighed and drank my tea, tonight was not going well at all. The bar was practically empty so I couldn't occupy my mind with people watching, allowing certain thoughts to creep in. Despite feeling bad over everything that happened between me and Ino, the feelings from this morning started to spread within my mind.

I dropped my head into my palm and rubbed my temples. A drink sounded really good right now. I was tempted to order something stronger than my tea that also had a higher alcohol content but I stopped myself. I couldn't sabotage myself like that despite wanting to commit fully to the road to ruin instead of dabbling in it like I had been for the past two years. I sighed and took a drag off of my cigarette that was wasting away in the ashtray beside my hand.

Perhaps I should just go home early and hope everything will return to normal by tomorrow or possibly the next day. Perhaps I should just go apologize to Ino and hope she forgives me for whatever slight I caused. It would make things easier seeing as I "practically lived here" as she put it earlier. I decided the latter would be the best course of action. I just wanted things to calm down so I can become part of the backround again instead of being pushed into the spotlight.

I stood up and walked over to the bar. Ino's eyes immediately snapped to my form. Her posture relaxed into a state of "let's just see what happens here" and her face furrowed into a grimace. Once I made it to the bar, I set my hands on the smooth polished wood and locked eyes with Ino. "Look, I'm sorry, Ino. I didn't mean to offend you."

Ino gave me a look. "You didn't offend me. You just made your true feelings clear. No harm, no foul."

"Then why all the punishments tonight if I didn't offend you?"

"While you didn't offend me, you _did_ break my heart so there has to be reparations."

"Mm," I hummed. "Don't you think that's a little childish?"

"Oh, fuck you. Why don't you go be with that pink haired whore Sakura?" Ino said as she practically shook with anger.

"I'm sorry, I couldn't help but overhear...did you just call me a whore?"

Ino and I both wrenched our heads to the side at the same time to see Sakura sitting at the end of the bar, looking fashionable as always in a deep sapphire dress. She had just got done reapplying her red lipstick and snapped her portable mirror shut before placing it in her matching sapphire bag.

"That's a pretty rude thing to assume about someone." Sakura said and leaned onto the bar, an air of amusement billowed about her.

Ino glared at the pink haired girl and turned her whole body to face Sakura. "Well, I don't have to assume when you come in with a different man all the time."

Sakura locked eyes with Ino. "Ino," She began. "I am a business woman, as I've told you previously. I meet with different men because they are business _men_. We handle our business together and then we go home. It's as simple as that, my dear."

Ino rolled her eyes at Sakura. "Whatever."

"And!" Sakura paused. "I thought we were friends or at least close aquaintences. I thought you would never speak of me in such a way but clearly I was wrong."

"Yeah, you definitely thought wrong. I was only nice to you because I had to be." Ino simply said and crossed her arms across her chest.

"Well, that's too bad. It's also sad to see you act so childish over a man who's never had or shown any bit of interest in you." Sakura said as she inspected her nails.

That did it. Ino lost it after that. She came over the bar at Sakura and grabbed her by the hair, yanking Sakura's head down onto the wood. The other patrons and myself rushed forward to break the two girls up. Once the two females were successfully seperated and calmed down, everyone went back to their usual activities. Sakura took a seat at my table and pressed ice to the lump that was forming on her head from it hitting the wooden bar moments before.

"This is not going to be a good look for me." She said quietly as she eyed Ino who was talking to a group of young college guys animatedly.

"That's what you get for provoking her." I said as I smoked my cigarette.

"Yeah, well, you provoked her first by trying to apologize. Did you really think that was going to work?"

"Part of me did and the other part, the more logical part, thought it would do more harm than good. Turns out that part of me was right." I sighed and shook my head. I could be so stupid sometimes.

"And that's what _you_ get for getting wrapped up in the bar crowd. They're all immature and drama driven." Sakura said as she looked up at me from her crouched position.

"Mm. Can't argue with that." I said as I took my final drag from my cigarette and put it out in the ashtray.

"So," Sakura said as she played with a chip in the table. "Why didn't you call?"

I sighed in annoyance. "What is with all you women vying for my attention?"

Sakura placed a hand on her hip and glared at me. "I'm not _vying_ for your attention. I was just curious."

"If you must know, it's because I forgot...and I'm not interested."

Sakura laughed. "We both know at least the latter is not true, if not the entire sentence as a whole. Don't think I didn't see how you couldn't take your eyes off of me earlier..."

"I was just surprised to see you at that restaurant."

Sakura slapped me on the arm. "You are the worst liar!"

I exhaled a breath through my nose. It was time to fess up. "Alright, maybe I am a bit interested but it's only because there's an air of mystery about you."

She raised a brow and smiled. "I do get that a lot. Look, why don't you just take a chance on me? I promise you will have fun and besides, you look like you need a little fun in your life."

There was that word again. Fun, and it was used to describe what my life lacked once again. I weighed my options. Last time I took a chance, it ended up backfiring. It was time to play it safe. I didn't need anymore drama in my life. I just wanted to live my life in a state of bitterness and relative unhappiness by myself. "Thanks, but no thanks."

Sakura shrugged and stood up from the table. "Suit yourself. Maybe I'll see you around."

"Sure." I said and watched her walk across the bar to the door, definitely not staring at her perfectly perky heart shaped ass as it walked away from me. Nope, definitely not.

-X-


	3. Chapter 3

The Professional

 _I watched on helplessly as she repeatedly emptied the contents of her stomach into the white porcelain toilet. Her face was gaunt and corpse like and I wanted to give up everything to bring life back into that pale skin..._

 _I held her hair as she continued getting sick and gently stroked the smooth locks. I averted my eyes from the heart breaking scene in front of me and stared blankly at the floor. This has become my reality. Caring for my dying wife, biding my time until there would be no time left. I secretly held onto a hope that everything eventually would turn out fine but the more logical part of me knew this was all for naught._

 _"Kakashi..." She whimpered and rested her head on the toilet seat._

 _"I know..." I whispered soothingly but there was no soothing this for either of us._

 _"I'm afraid..." She choked on her sobs and tears dripped down onto the surface she rested on._

 _"Me too, Rin..." There was nothing I could do and there would never be anything I could do to make this all better..._

-X-

I awoke once again, drenched in sweat and breathing hard. I looked over at my clock and saw that it was three in the morning. I sighed and slapped a hand to my slick face. There was no way I could go back to sleep now.

I took a shower and laid out the clothes I planned on wearing to work on my bed. I quickly threw on a grey V neck shirt and a pair of lounging pants before making my way into my kitchen for some coffee.

As I waited for my coffee to brew, I stared at the counter and was completely lost in my thoughts of my wife. I missed her...I missed her so damn much. The emptiness I felt in my heart and in my home would never be filled. I remembered the times we spent together in the mornings, sitting at the kitchen table and drinking our coffee...talking about anything that came to our minds and just laughing. I could still hear her musical laughter echoing...It was all so simple back then. Now, nothing would ever be simple again and this loneliness and bitterness would continue to eat away at my very being.

I slammed a fist onto the counter and pushed away all the memories that haunted me day and night. I had to stop dwelling in it. It was over now and it had been for two years now. There was nothing I could do to change it, I repeated to myself over and over again.

I grabbed my cup of hot coffee and went into the living room to take my place on the couch, silently gazing into the darkness that surrounded me. My heart ached and I felt tears stinging my eyes once again. I pushed it all even further back into the crevices of my mind. I couldn't afford to be a mess. It just wasn't worth it.

The hours passed as I sipped my coffee and stared into the nothing before me. It was almost time for me to go to work. I placed my empty coffee cup into the sink and went back into the bedroom to brush my teeth and change my clothes. Once I was groomed and dressed, I grabbed my briefcase and exited my apartment.

-X-

The day went by in a tired blur. I was exhausted. The lack of sleep over a long period of time was finally catching up to me and I could barely keep my eyes open. I imagined that I looked like the living dead to everyone right now.

I gathered my belongings and placed them into my briefcase, flipping the clasps shut. I walked out of the building and plopped down into my car, sighing while running a hand through my hair. This was going to be a long week and it was only Monday.

I debated on making my usual trip to the bar. I hadn't stepped foot inside that bar in three weeks, allowing the shitstorm that happened between me and Ino blow over. I wasn't sure if she had let things go yet and I didn't want to deal with anymore drama. Drama was not my thing, I prefered to stick to myself and away from trouble. That girl, Ino, had trouble written all over her. Then again, so did Sakura.

Sakura. I hadn't thought much about her since our last encounter.

I still had her card tucked away in my briefcase, carrying it with me every where I went. I didn't know why I did but I couldn't bring myself to throw it away.

Perhaps I was just as lonely as Sakura said.

I opened my brief case to procure the black card hidden in the pouch on the lid, I ran my fingers over it absent mindedly. Great, now I was actually debating giving her a call.

 _Would it be so bad, though?_ Part of me whispered and encouraged me silently from a dark corner in my brain.

Yes, yes it would. I knew what kind of trouble a girl like her would bring me but the question was...would it be worth it? To not feel so goddamn alone all the time? To not feel this emptiness that filled me to the brim every waking moment? To have someone by my side even if it was temporary and for money?

I brought the card up in front of my face to get a better look at the numbers that displayed itself across the blackened backround. I weighed my options as I stared at the card. To call her or not call her. To call her or not call her. I felt as if I should flip a coin seeing as I was seriously considering such a thing.

Fuck it. It couldn't screw up things more than they already were. I yanked my cell phone from the inner pocket of my jacket and slid my finger across the screen to unlock it. I quickly typed in the number and waited for it to ring in my ear. It rang twice before a seductive voice purred from the other end.

"I almost thought you wouldn't call!"

-X-

"I still can't belive you actually called me. I've been waiting all this time!" Sakura said as she sipped on some sake from her tiny round porcelain glass.

"Mm." I said from behind my own drink, non alcoholic, of course. We were at some high class pub that Sakura chose for our first "business meeting".

"What made you finally do it?" Sakura said as she slid closer to me on her bar stool.

"I'm not sure...I kind of went into auto pilot and dialed your number."

"Oh, so it has nothing to do with how attractive and alluring I am?" Sakura said and a smile spread across her face as she batted her eyelashes at me.

"No." It was a lie. I did find her attractive but I was not going to feed her inflated ego.

Sakura slapped my arm playfully with her little red clutch that matched her red dress. "You're so mean!" She pretended to pout and her full lower lip jutted out. It was cute, I had to admit. A smirk started to crack my stoic mask. "You actually almost smiled! I can't believe it! I didn't think you were capable." Sakura jested as she beamed up at me with her brilliant smile full of white and perfect teeth.

"Ah. It was quite difficult, I assure you." The smirk widened and it felt good. It had been so long since I had done such a thing. Sakura's playful manner brought out more in me than I thought was ever imaginable.

"So, answer me this. Out of all the people I've done business with, you're the only one who doesn't drink. Why don't you?" Sakura took another well mannered sip of sake.

"I once had a problem with it so I try my best to avoid it at all costs to avoid going down that road again." Why was I telling her this? It was really none of her business but once I looked into her large jade eyes, words just flooded from my mouth of their own accord.

"You were an alcoholic?" Sakura said as she looked up at me with interest.

"Yes, for a few years."

"Shit, I'm sorry. I probably shouldn't be drinking in front of you!" Sakura pushed her bottle of sake and her cup out of my line of vision.

"Don't worry about it, I have my self control."

"That's right! I mean, your usual hang out is an old run down dive bar!"

Another smirk. "Mm, it is."

"Why do you hang out there anyways? Doesn't seem like your type of place, you're always dressed in a nice suit. Suits and Lady J's don't exactly go together?"

"Well, it's the place I've always gone to. It's near my house and it wasn't always a run down dive."

Sakura nodded her head and filled her cup again. "That's true, I remember it in its glory days back before Ino took it over from Oldman Jiraiya when he got ill."

A pang of pain struck my heart. I was close friends with Jiraiya for a long time. It was another needless death in my life. "Yes, so you've been coming there for quite some time as well. How come I've never seen you there up until recently?"

Sakura paused and was seemingly lost in thought. "I'm not sure. Maybe I just came in after you left? You do tend to leave pretty early sometimes."

"Oh, so you've been taking notice of my habits yet again?" I smiled slightly down at her.

"I mean, you are kind of an interesting guy. An enigma, one might say. You go to a bar but you don't drink and you watch everyone else enjoy their lives from the corner with a look of disdain on your mostly emotionless face. Why is that?"

I ripped my attention from Sakura to gaze at the wall of liquor in front of us. Pain passed through my body and I let it. "I've dealt with a lot of experiences that cause a general unhappiness in my life."

I could feel Sakura's soft eyes on me and I could feel the pity roll off her body. "I'm sorry...I can tell that you're sad most of the time and I don't expect you to tell me why but I hope that my presence helps at least a little bit."

I returned my gaze to her and we stared into each other's eyes for an enternity. My eyes dropped to her full pink lips that were coated in a fine gloss and a wave of lust passed through me. It was unexpected and caught me off guard. I quickly moved my eyes to hers again to disperse the feelings of lust coarsing through my veins. "Thanks, it does in some strange way."

Sakura grinned. "Good! Well, listen, I'm pretty drunk right now. We should go somewhere else to avoid the oncoming sloppy drunk Sakura. You don't want that, trust me!"

I finished my drink and set it on the counter. "Alright, where to?"

"Let's take a walk through the city for awhile! We can get to know each other better that way." Sakura hopped down from the tall bar stool and stumbled slightly before regaining her composure. "Yep, definitely drunk!"

I stood up from my seat and looked down at her warmly with amusement. "Sounds like a plan."

-X-

"...And that's when I said, 'you don't have to be in my line of business to know that you shouldn't go home with guys!'"

I threw my head back and laughed. She made me laugh. My abdominal muscles ached from how much she made me laugh. We had been walking around for hours just talking and giggling like kids. It felt good. Really good. Sakura looked up at me with a careless and almost child like grin.

"You're funny." I said and patted her head gently and she tightened her arm around my waist in order to steady herself as we walked.

"Yeah, I get that a lot."

I glared down at her playfully. "It's nice to know you have a healthy ego."

"It's all an act, my friend, an illusion, a facade!" Sakura pushed away from me and spun around in circles with her arms out stretched then proceeded to fall onto the concrete sidewalk. "Ow." She said as she hit the ground.

I chuckled and helped her to her feet once again. "Be careful."

Sakura dusted off her dress and placed her hands on her hips. "I'm _always_ careful."

I patted her head once again. "I'm sure you are."

I held out my arm, she took it and we were off once again on our city adventure. We passed through crowds of people, too engrossed in conversation to care. This was the most fun I have had in a long time. I really enjoyed spending time with Sakura and her fiery nature. She didn't fail in lifting my mood.

"Are you tired of walking around?" Sakura asked as she leaned against my shoulder.

"Nah, I'm fine."

"Damn it, I was hoping you'd say you were...fine, I'll be the one to say it. I'm tired of walking around in these damn heels. I think I'm getting blisters on my feet..." Sakura paused and examined her feet. "Yep, definitely some blisters there."

"Here," I said as I picked her up and set her back down on a bench that was nearby. "Sit down for a moment."

It was hard to see in the dark but I could have sworn I saw her face flush. "Thanks." She said and took off her heels, letting out a small hiss as she grazed her blisters.

I took a seat beside her and leaned back against the bench comfortably, stretching an arm out behind Sakura. A moment of silence passed between us as we both stared at the ground. It was strange as we had yet to experience quietness. Sakura drew in a breath and exhaled softly. "I had a lot of fun tonight." She said as she continued to gaze at the ground.

"Me too." I said softly as I turned my attention to her.

"And I'm just going to throw this out there...it helps that you're attractive." Sakura said as she looked up at me. Something danced darkly in those green pools.

I smirked. I knew that I wasn't a bad looking guy but it had been awhile since anyone besides Ino validated that fact. "You are too."

Sakura giggled giddily. "You finally admit it!"

I scratched my cheek absent mindedly. "Mm, well, I'd be a fool not to admit it. Anyone could see that you are attractive. You got looks all night while we were out together."

Sakura waved her hand dismissively into the air. "Pff, I don't care about them. I've been trying to get you to notice me all evening. Usually men immediately talk about my looks and what they want to do with me but you never did. It was weird."

"Sorry you found it weird but I believe there is more to a person than just their looks."

Sakura's eyes widened slightly and that flush returned, I knew I didn't imagine it. She quickly shifted her gaze to the ground again and went silent.

"I hope I didn't offend you." I swiftly added.

Sakura gasped. "Oh, no! Not at all! It's just...strange. I've never met a man like you before."

"And I don't think I have ever come across a woman like you before. You don't want anything from me...besides my money, of course." I couldn't help but smile at my joke.

Her eyes widened and shock as she slapped me with her clutch. "Rude! But...also true." We both laughed and once our laughter died down, we stared at each other again. Our eyes never left one another as we gazed into what felt like each other's souls. "Would you be against me kissing you?"

I shook my head. "No, but I thought you didn't do things like this."

Sakura raised a brow as she looked up at me cheekily. "I'm willing to break the rules if you are."

I sighed. "Fuck it." I pulled her close and pressed my lips against hers. Sakura's lips were soft and cradled mine perfectly. She tasted sweet, like fresh ripened strawberries, and that taste alone was enough to drive me mad. I devoured her before long and our kiss only continued to grow in intensity. I crushed her body against mine as I bit and sucked on her lips, that taste allowing lust to completely fill my brain in a haze.

Suddenly, memories began to play in my mind. I pictured myself kissing my wife and I froze. Pain raced through my body and set it aflame with agony. Immediately, everything felt off and wrong. I backed away quickly and stared at Sakura with my chest heaving.

Sakura looked concerned. "What did I do?"

I ran a hand through my hair that was now dampened by a cold sweat. "N-Nothing...it's really nothing..."

Sakura scooted closer to me and set a hand on my shoulder, I instantly twitched at her touch. "Hey, you can tell me what's wrong. I won't be mad, I promise, I'm the one that came onto you, remember?"

My breaths became more rapid and I felt like I couldn't breathe. "I...have to go..." I said quickly and practically jumped up from my seat on the bench. I pulled my wallet out from my pocket, yanked some cash out and handed it to her before running off down the street, away from Sakura and the scene that had played out in my mind.


End file.
